Golf ball dispenser



6 A. MOTARD 3,281,013

- GOLF BALL DISPENSER Filed Nqv. 9, 1964 INVENTOR Andre MQTARD ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,281,013 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 3,281,013 GOLF BALL DISPENSER Andre Motard, 122 Lahaie St., Pout Viau, Quebec, Canada Filed Nov. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 409,704 3 Claims. (Cl. 221-301) The present invention relates to improvements in dispensing apparatus and particularly portable apparatus for dispensing spherical articles such as golf balls or the like, one :at a time.

In a sport such as golf where balls are easily lost or damaged and must be replaced continuously, it would be convenient to have a dispenser adapted to contain a fresh supply of balls and to dispense the balls one by one.

The present invention provides an efficient dispenser which can 'be easily carried.

The present invention also provides a dispensing unit which will only dispense one spherical article at a time.

The invention consists of a magazine usually in the form of a hollow tubular portion open at both ends having substantially the diameter of the spherical articles to be dispensed and is provided with a dispensing unit at one end. The dispensing unit comprises two offset parallel arcuate gate members displaced axially and in such a way that when one of said members is moved transversely leaving the tube clear, the other obstructs the path therein. Both arcuate members are hingedly connected at one end to a shaft located on the wall of the tube and fixedly connected to a common handle at the other end for hingedly moving the members in unison transverse to the axis within the tube.

The two members comprising an inner member and an outer member relative to the tube are spaced apart axially of the tube a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the articles in order to contain an article between the inner and outer arcuate members when the unit is in a normal position.

A spring is attached to the handle resiliently holding the dispensing unit relative to the tube portion and normally retaining it so that the outer arcuate member obstructs the passage in the tubular portion and the inner member is adjacent the inner wall of the tubular portion. In this manner, the articles are retained since the first article abuts the outer member.

As the dispensing unit is moved against the action of the spring, the outer member clears the passage to allow the article which was contained between the two members to be released. Simultaneously, the next article in line is being held 'by the inner member which is now obstructing the passage. As the handle is released, the dispensing unit returns to its normal position and the articles are displaced outwardly so that the next article in position abuts the outer member.

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, particular reference will be made to the accompanying drawings showing by way of illustration preferred embodiments thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical side view of a dispenser of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal top view of the dispenser shown in FIGURE 1 and illustrating the two operating positions of the dispensing unit,

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a front vertical view of a dispenser of the invention,

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross-section of a dispenser taken along line 5--5 in FIGURE 1 showing the dispensing unit in its normal position relative to the tubular portion,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view of the invention takenalone line 5-5 in FIGURE 1 showing the dispensing unit in its releasing position, and

FIGURE 7 is a detailed perspective view showing a dispensing unit of the invention.

Referring particularly to FIGURES l to 4, a series of golf balls 15 are shown vertically disposed in a tube 17. The lowest ball 1501 abuts against an arcuate elongated gate 19 which obstructs the passage 20.

Spaced apart and above the elongated gate 19 is a second arcuate elongated gate 21 connected to the handle 23. The gates 19 and 21 are set in parallel planes transverse to the axis opposite each other in such a way that when one of the gate members is centrally located, obstructing the passage, the other is adjacent the inner wall of the tube 17, clearing the path 20. The elongatedgate members are hingedly connected to a transverse shaft 25 located outside the wall 17, through suitable openings 18a and 18b in the wall 17.

The handle 23 protrudes through a slot 27 in the wall 17 and is limited by the size of the slot. A spring 29 is attached to the handle 23 and is fixed to the tube 17 at 30. The spring 29 retains the dispensing unit 16 in a normal position as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. In this position, the elongated gate 19 obstructs the passage 20 while the gate 21 remains clear of the passage 20.

A clip 33 may also be provided on tube 17 adapting the dispenser to be carried on a golf bag or on any vertical edge.

Operation A plurality of balls 15 are fed in the tube 17 at the top end. The balls immediately take up the aligned position in FIGURE 1 including ball 1501 which abuts gate 19. The gate 19 is centrally located thus obstructing the passage 20, therefore it prevents the balls 15 from dropping out.

If dispenser unit 16 is moved from position A to B by means of handle 23 against spring 29, then the gate 19 clears passage 20. Ball 15a is therefore free to drop out as shown in FIGURE 6. However, gate 21 which is integral to gate 19 has now moved into a centrally located position between ball 15a and ball 15b, obstructing the path 20 and retaining ball 15b. By releasing handle 23, the spring 29 draws the dispenser unit 16 back to its normal position. Ball 15b is now allowed to drop to gate 19 since gate 21 is now clear of the path 20. The cycle is therefore completed and a new ball 1511 can now be released by repeating the operation.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for dispensing spherical articles comprising a magazine defining a passage for stacking said spherical articles, said magazine having the form of an open-ended cylinder, a bifurcate dispensing means located at one end of said passage comprising an inner elongated gate member and an outer gate member spaced apart axially relative to said passage a distance substantially equal to the diameter of said spherical articles, said dispensing means being hingedly connected to the wall of said cylinder for movement transverse to said passage, and having a handle mounted at an end opposite to said wall connection, a slot arranged in said wall opposite said connection for receiving said handle and adapted to limit said movement from a normal position to a release position, said outer gate member obstructing said passage while said inner member remains clear of said p-assage when said dispensing means is in said normal position, and said outer gate member being clear of said passage and said inner member obstructing said passage 7 3 when said dispensing means is in said release position whereby one of said articles is released on each oscillation of the dispensing means.

2. A dispenser defined in claim 1, wherein said bifurcate dispensing means is characterized in that said elongated gate members are hingedly connected to said Wall, and a retaining rod is located exteriorly of said wall adapted to maintain said wall connection.

3. A dispenser as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated gate members of said dispensing means lie in separate parallel planes extending radially relative to the axis of said cylinder, and said elongated gate members are curved in shape, and the curves lie on opposite sides of said axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1882 Fitch 22l301 8/1921 Schmitz 221301 X 5/1922 Parmater 221298 X 10/1930 McCullough 221301 12/1957 Brunderman 221-301 X 6/1965 Miotke 221297 FOREIGN PATENTS 5/1928 France.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING SPHERICAL ARTICLES COMPRISING A MAGAZINE DEFINING A PASSAGE FOR STACKING SAID SPHERICAL ARTICLES, SAID MAGAZINE HAVING THE FORM OF AN OPEN-ENDED CYLINDER, A BIFURCATE DISPENSING MEANS LOCATED AT ONE END OF SAID PASSAGE COMPRISING AN INNER ELONGATED GATE MEMBER AND AN OUTER GATE MEMBER SPACED APART AXIALLY RELATIVE TO SAID PASSAGE A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO DIAMETER OF SAID SPHERICAL ARTICLES, SAID DISPENSING MEANS BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE WALL OF SAID CYLINDER FOR MOVEMENT TRANSVERSE TO SAID PASSAGE, SAID HAVING A HANDLE MOUNTED AT AN END OPPOSITE TO SAID WALL CONNECTION, A SLOT ARRANGED IN SAID WALL OPPOSITE SAID CONNECTION FOR RECEIVING SAID HANDLE AND ADAPTED TO LIMIT SAID MOVEMENT FROM A NORMAL POSITION TO A RELEASE POSITION, AND OUTER GATE MEMBER OBSTRUCTING SAID PASSAGE WHILE SAID INNER MEMBER REMAINS CLEAR OF SAID PASSAGE WHEN SAID DISPENSING MEANS IS IN SAID NORMAL POSITION, AND SAID OUTER GATE MEMBER BEING CLEAR OF SAID PASSAGE AND SAID INNER MEMBER OBSTRUCTING SAID PASSAGE WHEN SAID DISPENSING MEANS IS IN SAID RELEASE POSITION WHEREBY ONE OF SAID ARTICLES IS RELEASED ON EACH OSCILLATION OF THEL DISPENSING MEANS. 